Fluid pressure converter



June 21, 1960 J. s. EUBANKS 2,941,478

FLUID PRESSURE CONVERTER Filed 001:. 17, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Jon-m- $.EuBAuKs ATTOZUEYS June 21, 1960 J. 5. EUBANKS 2,941,478

FLUID PRESSURE CONVERTER INVENTOR. JoHu S. EUBRNKS June 21, 1960 J. s. EUBANKS FLUID PRESSURE CONVERTER $.Sheets-Shee'c 3 Filed Oct. 17, 1958 P N INVENTOR.

JOHN S. EUBANKS BY ,M *EMM II. .F.

AT'T O ZHEYS the face 24 of the rotor clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 3, causing clockpassage 27'.

with the peripheral surface of the rotor by the force of the coiled springs 39. i

Designated at 40 is a passage formed in the wall of body 13, said passage extending through the body wall and opening into the space in the cavity 16 on one side of sealing plate 28. A fluid outlet passage 41 is formed in the wall of body 13, extending through said wall and opening into the space in cavity 16 on the side of sealing plate 28 opposite the space communicating with passage 40. A further passage 42 is formed in the wall of body 13 between the passages 40 and 41, communicating with the outer end of sealing plate passage 27. The stem of a T-fltting 43 is connected to the end of passage 40, and an angle fitting 44 connects the end of passage 42 to one branch-of the fitting 43. A fluidsupply conduit 45 is connectedto the other branch of T-fitting 43, whereby. supply fluid under pressure may be simultaneously admitted into passage 40 and at the same time exert fluid pressure on the end of sealing plate 28. An angle fitting 46- is connected to the end of passage 41, and connected to the fitting 46 is the fluid outlet conduit 47. Thus,

.the fluid under pressure admitted from the supply con- .duit 45 enters the cavity 16 in the space above the sealing plate 23, as viewed in Figure 3, exerting force on 22 which urges the rotor in a wise rotation of said rotor, whereby the load connected to the rotor shaft 26 may be driven.

At the side of body 13 opposite the sealing plate 28 Yrespective fluid inlet and outlet passages 40 and 41 are provided, as well as an intermediate passage 42 communicating with the outer end of the sealing plate guide A T-fitting 43 has its stem portion connected to the passage 40 and has one branch thereof connected by an angle fitting 44' to the passage 42'. A pressure fluid supply conduit 45 is connected to the remaining branch of the fitting portion 43, whereby fluid under pressure may be simultaneously admitted to the passage 40 and the passage 42'. An angle fitting 46' connects the passage 41' to a discharge conduit 47.

In operation, fluid under pressure enters each of the passages 40 and 40', at the same time exerting sealing pressure on the respective sealing plates 28 and 28 by their connections with the sealing plate passages at the conduit passages 42, 42'. The fluid under pressure enters the cavity 16, acting on the faces 24 of rotor 22, and

causing the rotor to move in a clockwise direction, as

viewed in Figure 3. Fluid from the supply passage 40 Iultimately discharges through the exhaust passage 41 and exhausts through conduit 47'. Fluid from the passage 40 ultimately discharges through passage 41 and conduit 47. The sealing plates 28 and 28 engage the peripheral surface of the rotor 22, defining a working space on one side of each sealing plate and a discharge space on the other side thereof.

As will be readily apparent, the direction of rotation of rotor 22 may be reversed by reversing the inlet and outlet connections thereof, namely, by connecting the fluid supply conduits to the passages 41, 41 and the fluid discharge conduits to the passages 40, 40', the

intermediate passages 42 and 42 being connected to the fluid supply conduits so as to provide the auxiliary scaling forces on the sealing plates 28, 28'.

While the apparatus described above has been discussed as a motor, whereby fluid pressure is converted into mechanical force, obviously the apparatus may be employed as a pump by connecting a suitable prime mover to the rotor shaft 26 and connecting the conduits 47, 45 and 47, 45 in the fluid lines requiring pressure conversion. Thus, assuming the rotor 22 to rotate clockwise, pressure will be developed in the spaces communicating with the outlet passages 41', 41 and suction will be developed in the inlet passages 40, 40. Under these conditions, the intermediate passages 42, 42 should be connected respectively to the passages at maximum 4 pressure, namely, the output passages 41, 41, whereby the output pressure is utilized to provide the auxiliary sealing force on the sealing plates 28, 28.

It will be readily apparent that the fluid converter may be designed with a rotor having any desired number of lobes, namely, having any desired polygonal cross sectional shape. In each case sealing plates will be provided to define working spaces on opposite sides thereof in the manner described in connection with the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings and above described. For example, the rotor may have an odd number of lobes and an even number of sealing plates, or conversely, the rotor may have an even number of lobes and an odd number of sealing plates. This arrangement will always provide an overlap of power impulses, insuring smooth operation.

, ,In thespecific application above described and illustrated in the drawings, the fluid pressure acting on the :outer ends of the sealing plates 28 and 28' develops forces acting on the faces of the rotor 22, assisting the rotation of said rotor. The camming action of the sealing plates is effective during the initial portion of sealing contact with the spaces 24 to develop force assisting rotation of the rotor, and continues until the sealing plates engage the mid portions of the faces 24. For example,

this condition is illustrated in Figure 3, wherein the sealing plate 28 engages the mid portion of the face 24 at the leftside of rotor 22. Under these conditions the space abovethe sealing plate 28 receives fluid 'under pressure. which acts against approximately one-half the area of face 24 and thus develops suflicient force to .by theaction of the sealing plate 28 against the rotor faces as the angle between the sealing plates changes from the relatively small value occurring when the sealing plates first engage the faces 24 until said sealing plates are substantially at right angles to said faces.

Aswill be further understood, the device of the present invention may be employed with any suitable fluid. For example, the device may be constructed as a compressed air, gas or steam-driven motor.

While a specificembodirnent of a fluid pressure converter has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid pressure converter comprising a housing having a cylindrical inner cavity, a rotor member of generally polygonal shape in said cavity and having corner portions thereof located closely adjacent to the cylindrical inner cavity surface and having substantially flat plane surfaces extending chordally in said cavity between said portions, means rotatably supporting said rotor member for rotation on the axis of said cavity,

said housing being formed with a guide recess opening into said cylindrical cavity and directed toward said rotor member, a sealing plate slidably mounted in said guide recess and being extensible therefrom, said sealing platehaving an edge sealingly engaging the peripheral surface of said rotor member, said housing being formed in its peripheral wall with a first fluid passage extending through said wall and communicating with the space in the cavity on one side of sealing plate and with a second fluid passage extending through said wall and communicating with the space in the cavity on the other side of said sealing plate, an end surface of said rotor member being formed with a groove extending along the periph:

eral margin of said rotor member, follower means engaging in said groove, and means yieldably connecting said follower means to said sealing plate to urge said plate inwardly against said peripheral surface of the rotor member, said groove being inwardly arcuately curved between said corner portions and being constructed and arranged to vary the inward force on said sealing plate in accordance with the amount of extension of said sealing plate from said guide recess.

2. A fluid pressure converter comprising a housing having a cylindrical inner cavity, a rotor member of generally polygonal shape in said cavity and having corner portions thereof located closely adjacent to the cylindrical inner cavity surface and having substantially flat plane surfaces extending chordally in said cavity between said portions, means rotatably supporting said rotor member for rotation on the axis of said cavity, said housing being formed with a guide recess opening into said cylindrical cavity and directed toward said rotor member, a sealing plate slidably mounted in said guide recess and being extensible therefrom, said sealing plate having an edge sealingly engaging the peripheral surface of said rotor member, said housing being formed in its peripheral wall with a first fluid passage extending through said wall and communicating with the space in the cavity on one side of said sealing plate and with a second fluid passage extending through said wall and communicating with the space in the cavity on the other side of said sealing plate, conduit means connecting one of said fluid passages to the outer end portion of said guide recess, whereby fluid under pressure in said conduit means will exert inward force on said sealing plate,

urging the sealing plate inwardly against a peripheral surface of the rotor member, an end surface of said rotor member being formed with a groove extending along the peripheral margin of said end surface, follower means engaged in said groove, and means resiliently connecting said follower means to said sealing plate to further urge said plate inwardly against the peripheral surface of said rotor member, said groove being inwardly arcuately curved between said corner portions and being construced and arranged to vary the inward force on said sealing plate in accordance with the amount of extension of said sealing plate from said guide recess.

3. A fluid pressure converter comprising a housing having a cylindrical inner cavity, a rotor member of generally polygonal shape in said cavity and having corner portions located closely adjacent to the cylindrical inner cavity surface and having substantially flat plane surfaces extending chordally in said cavity between said corner portions, means rotatably supporting said rotor member for rotation on the axis of said cavity, said housing being formed with a guide recess opening into said cylindrical cavity and being coplanar with said axis and directed toward said rotor member, a sealing plate slidably mounted in said guide recess and being extensible therefrom, said sealing plate having an edge sealingly engaging the peripheral surface of said rotor member, said housing being formed in its peripheral wall with a first fluid passage extending through said wall and communicating with the space in the cavity on one side of said sealing plate and with a second fluid passage extending through said wall and communicating with the space in the cavity on the other side of said sealing plate, conduit means connecting one of said fluid passages to the outer end portion of said guide recess, whereby fluid under pressure in said conduit means will exert inward force on said sealing plate, urging the sealing plate cammingly against the peripheral surface of the rotor member, an end surface of said rotor member being formed with a groove extending along the peripheral margin of said end surface, follower means engaged in said groove, and means resiliently connecting said follower means to said sealing plate to further urge said plate inwardly and sealingly against the peripheral surface of said rotor member, said groove being inwardly arcuately curved between said corner portions and being constructed and arranged to vary the inward force on said sealing plate in accordance with the amount of extension of said sealing plate from said guide recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 271,459 Hodges Ian. 30, 1883 445,318 Leach Jan. 27, 1891 762,126 Bond June 7, 1904 793,660 Hinden July 4, 1905 890,793 Pfeitfer June 16, 1908 2,191,172 Lisowski Feb. 20, 1940 2,845,872 Farron et a1. Aug. 5, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 614,109 France Sept. 11, 1926 

